Cold Like Fire
by Angelic Demonz
Summary: Edo Jellal/Gerald/Gerard X OC For some reason, Balkans just won't leave her alone...
1. Prologue

A.N - I don't think it ever said when Mystogan went to the human world, but he's 7 in my prologue. Also, I've seen his name three different ways (Gerald, Gerard, and Jellal) but I use Gerald okay? Just to clear up any confusion.

* * *

It was foolhardy to even think about going to the mountains in the north during winter; the peaks boasted some of the coldest temperatures in Fiore. And you have a death wish if you ever dare to step foot on them during a winter blizzard.

So then what were two kids doing?

* * *

She ran through the mountain pass without a thought of the snowdrifts she crashed through; she had been soaked and frozen many times already. Besides, taking care to check where you are going was a luxury, one someone on the run from a _**furious**__ Balkan_ couldn't afford.

The chilling mountain night air only served to further push her body to exhaustion. Even now, she was at the brink of collapse. Her body slowed down, muscles aching for rest and numb from the cold.

She shook her head slightly, trying to rid the black haze that blocked her vision and clouded her thinking. Her breathing was harsh and uneven, every breath stinging her lungs. It was getting so hard to stay awake… Nothing seemed to register to her brain, only the insatiable need to fall into the darkness.

She stumbled forward, tripping over an unidentified object. She stiffened slightly, bracing herself to hit the ground. But instead, she felt her body slam into something warm, keeping her up.

Numbly looking up, her unfocused eyes only registered blurs of colors for a moment. Blue… Was that the sky? No, it was a darker shade the even the clearest day, more like a deep pool of water.

Blinking, the image sharpened. It was.. A boy? The blue had been his hair. He had warm brown eyes, so unlike their surroundings.

He must have noticed my state, because his grip on me tightened. "Hey, are you alright?"

"Run," I murmured weakly.

"Eh?"

His question was by the sounds of a large creature crashing through the snow in the direction I had come from. Quickly stepping in front of me, he reached for something strapped on his back. A… Staff?

* * *

The Balkan scampered away, injured but still conscious enough to keep its hold on its host. Gerald watched it cautiously, in case it decided to come back for another attempt at the girl.

But it was done for the day, though if it had learned its lesson uncertain and rather unlikely.

The blue haired mage turned his attention back onto the girl.

She was still where he left her, though now she had sat down. Her sapphire eyes stared down at her lap, unfocused, one slightly covered by ebony black bangs. Only once he stood in front of her did she show any awareness to the world around her.

"Um… Are you hurt?" He questioned awkwardly. She looked up, the piercing blue startling him. Her gaze lingered on him for a second before returning to the ground; almost as if embarrassed. Silently, she shook her head.

Gerald shifted a bit uncomfortably. She almost seemed to dislike talking more than he did.

Uncertain that she was telling he truth, he sat down in front of her and checked for signs of injury. The only thing obvious was a few minor scrapes and cuts, the worst of in on her arm where the fabric had been torn off from her elbow down. Noting her dirtied outfit, he guessed she had fallen down a few times.

He got out a roll of bandage and gently started to wrap her arm. She didn't object verbally, but her whole body was tense and her eyes looked scared.

She looked all in the world like a rabbit about to bolt.

He smiled at her reassuringly, trying to calm her. It worked, to an extent. She was still tense, but allowed him to tend to her arm.

"Why was the Balkan after you anyways?" The blue haired boy questioned as he stood up, surveying his handiwork. A bit messy, but it would serve to keep out infection. She was barely bleeding anyways.

A couple seconds passed and he began to think she wouldn't answer.

"I walked into its lair," He blinked a couple times, wondering if he had simple imagined her voice; she was so quiet. Even though he was right in front of her, he barely heard.

But apparently she had spoken, since her eyes were once more fixed on the ground, with the lightest hint of a blush on her cheeks. He could nearly feel the embarrassment she radiated.

"What's your name?" Another pause. Maybe he should stick with yes or no questions…

"Mitsuki."

Without really thinking about what he was saying, he extended his hand to her. "Gerald. Ne, Mitsuki, if your not going anywhere in particular, want to travel with me?"

She stared at his hand for a long moment. Hesitantly, she took it, allowing him to help her up.

He gave her a grin, turning in the direction he thought he had saw a cave earlier.

"Gerald," He tilted his head in her direction, looking at her curiously. "Thank you."

He looked surprised, but the grin was back on his face in an instant.

Asking her to come along was a rash decision, but he didn't regret it. After all, he felt something different about her. She wasn't normal - but then, what mage was?

* * *

A.N - I cant believe there are so few stories of him! And they're all ErzaXJellal. Personally, I like ErzaXGray better, so there might be some of that and LucyXNatsu in this story.


	2. Chapter One

_A.N - They're 18 now._

* * *

With wide eyes, the thief backed up, struggling to process the scene in front of him.

The icy stare of the blue-eyed girl standing among the carnage chilled him to the bone.

There was no way that he was being unnerved by this _kid_, right? And it was certain that she wasn't the one who caused this destruction… Right?

"Ne," He froze as she spoke. "You're the leader of the band of thieves, Devon, right?"

He shook himself slightly. How was this girl able to frighten the esteemed leader of the most successful thieves in the city? He would be laughed at by rival gangs if this ever got out… That is, if he managed to stay alive that long.

"What is it to you?" He snarled out.

She gave a halfhearted shrug. "I didn't want to kill an innocent civilian." Her words sent a jolt of unreasonable fear through him. "Although, you could have lied. So that means you don't think I'm anything to be afraid of, right?"

He unconsciously backed away. That girl.. She didn't carry a weapon, and yet the menace she projected was unlike even his own.

She raised a hand towards him. "Perhaps you should think twice before underestimating me." An red glow surrounded her hand, and before he could bolt, a dozen fire projectiles slammed into him, sending him flying back a few feet.

* * *

A figure dressed in black jumped down from the trees where he was observing.

"Heh, nice job like usual, Mitsuki." He commented, brushing him orange hair back, though it fell back into his glowing red eyes moments later.

"Hn," She walked over to a small boulder, using the rocks around it as a platform to get to the top. "Did you need something, Kaito?"

He watched as she sat down at the highest point, surveying the scene below.

"You can take a break for a while. I'll be back in a couple days with another mission, okay?" She merely shrugged at him, giving off a I-couldn't-care-less aura.

He sighed, running his hand through his hair again. Geez, she had been more responsive when the blue-haired teen was around. He, at least, could get more then a few sentences out of her. She barely spoke a word if she didn't have to.

"Well, see you later," Walking away, he caught her monotone reply before he disappeared into the shadows.

* * *

The wind blew through her hair, tugging at the black locks before continuing on its journey.

Sighing with boredom, Mitsuki laid down, carelessly placing one of her hands over her eyes.

At least whenever Kaito was here she had something to do…

The cerulean blue sky peeked through the gaps between her fingers.

"Where are you now? Gerald…" She thought aloud.

_

* * *

_

_**Flashback**_

"_You said you wanted to learn magic, right?" Gerald gently coaxed._

"_B-but…" Mitsuki whimpered._

"_He offered to teach you. Why don't you want to go?" She looked down, gripping the fabric of his shirt like it was her lifeline. _

_I didn't want to leave you…_

"_I…" Making her decision, she slowly moved towards the orange haired man. _

_Gerald touched her arm gently. "Well, I guess this is good-" He was cut off when she hugged him tightly._

"_No goodbyes, okay? We'll meet again. Promise me that…"_

_His eyes softened as he wrapped his arms around her. "Yeah… I promise."_

_After a moment, they pulled apart. Unwillingly, he started to leave, passing by Kaito as he did so._

"_You better take care of her," He whispered so that Mitsuki couldn't hear._

"_I will." Gerald met the serious red eyes for a moment before turning away._

_Taking one last look at his former traveling companion, he activated his staff, disappearing with the mist._

* * *

'It's been four years since I last saw you…'

* * *

_A.N - Sorry if I skip around too much… ^-^" I have barely the faintest clue of what I want to do with this story, so yeah…_

_Its kinda short so I'll try and make the next one longer, but no promises._

_In reply to TracyCanaluver: A… Catfight? As in pulling hair and screeching? I'm sorry, but I can't exactly imagine Erza in a catfight, or my OC for that matter. Ehehe… I do have a fight fight planed (maybe) between the two, but that's a lot later. Once I actually get her in Fairy Tail, probably in the Battle of Fairy Tail Arc (if that's what it was called…). I'm glad you liked the story though : )_


	3. Chapter Two

"Mitsuki! Cut it off to the right!" Kaito ordered, swerving to the left.

"Got it," Jumping off the main path, she followed the fleeing.. Thing… From the side.

Dressed in nearly all black, her figure blended in easily with the shadows of the trees, making her nearly invisible to those without a sharp eye.

After a nearly half an hour, the monster slowed, apparently thinking it had lost its pursuers. Rearing up on it hind feet, it let out an ear-splitting howl of triumph.

Of course, Kaito just wouldn't let it have it's moment.

Jumping out of the bushes, he positioned himself directly behind the beast.

"Don't think you've beaten us so easily," A smirk tugging on the sides of his lips.

Before the monster could turn and flee again, Mitsuki quickly moved in front of it.

"Your not going anywhere," She stated.

It backed up, looking like cornered prey.

"Careful, its going to fight back," Kaito warned.

The bear-like creature reared back on it hind legs, charging at Mitsuki with the horn on its head.

Ducking to the side, she cast a magic circle on the ground in front of it. A column of fire erupted from the seal, but the beast wasn't phased.

Charging through it as if it were air, it slashed on oversized paw at her head.

Ducking down and rolling to the side, she avoided it by inches. It dropped down on all fours, going after her with short but powerful swipes and snapping with it canines.

"Damn it," She hissed, dodging its attacks, leaving her no time to retaliate.

"Mitsuki! The cliff!"

Too late.

Avoiding the powerful jaws, she didn't hear him in time and lost her footing, disappearing into the chasm.

Running over, Kaito kicked the unstable monster onto it's back, piercing his sword through its chest.

Turning back to the cliff, he was relieved, although not surprised, to see Mitsuki flying up, unharmed from the fall.

"You could have warned me earlier," She mumbled, a slight wine in her voice as she dropped to the ground. Folding the white wings that sprouted from her back, they glowed yellow and disappeared.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Weren't you the one who wanted to take it on by yourself?"

She glowered at the smirking figure, not replying.

"You underestimated an S-ranked mission. If I weren't here, you could have been killed. Don't get over-confident just because you took care of that last mission easily."

She looked away, avoiding his criticizing gaze.

"What was that anyway? The client says it came from the cliffs, but something like that… Its not natural."

He shrugged. "The body of a bear, the head of a rhino, and paws like those of a large feline… I've never seen anything like it."

She looked towards the nearly set sun, shivering slightly from the cold. "Who…Who would make something like that?"

He didn't reply.

Heaven's finale shone beautifully, drenching everything in bright orange and crimson red.

"Here." Mitsuki looked up in surprise when a jacket was draped over her shoulders. "Your shivering."

"Oh… Thank you."

She let out a squeak of surprise as he pulled her towards him, ruffling her hair.

"Jeez, that's what you get for wearing a dress out here," He teased.

"L-let go!"She yelped, a light blush on her face.

He chuckled, finally releasing her. "Come on, lets go before we have to spend the night out here."

She nodded, following his brisk pace, subconsciously drawing his jacket tighter around herself.

_

* * *

_

A.N - I read the last part over and only now realize how much it seems to imply KaitoXMitsuki… Let me just get something straight. Kaito is 24. Mitsuki just blushed because she wasn't used to the contact from him,

_**not **__because she like him._

_Sorry its even shorter than the last, I kinda got writers block on this.(Yes, on the second chapter.) I cant think of how I should make her meet Jellal again… That was suppose to happen in this chapter, but... Yeah…_

_Tracycanaluver - Thanks! I thought this story would get a bad reception, really._

_Fire Princess21 - Thank you! Although I personally don't think I'm that good._


	4. Chapter Three

The rain drummed down on the roof, joined by the occasional crash of thunder.

Two drenched mages walked onto the only inn in the town.

"Why didn't you let me teleport us back?" Mitsuki muttered, a bit cross.

"And risk what happened last time? I prefer walking through the rain to being eaten by a _flower_, thanks." Kaito snorted.

"That was three years ago!" She snapped.

"Once was more then enough for me." He stated.

Glowering, she followed him up to the receptionist.

"Hello, are there any rooms available?" Kaito questioned politely. Mitsuki resisted rolling her eyes when the brunette seemed to sway at the smile he shot at her. Idiotic fan girls…

"O-of course!" She stammered, a large blush coating her face. "Single or separate?"

"Separate."

Mitsuki inwardly cringed at the surprised expression on the women's face. It wasn't hard to guess what she had thought the two of them were doing here… By the way the edges of Kaito's lips twitched upwards, he caught on too.

"I'm going out," She muttered, snatching her room key and heading for the door.

"Huh? Weren't you just complaining about the rain?" Kaito called after her, puzzled.

She walked out without a reply.

* * *

Her footsteps were muffled by the sounds of the storm. It was pointless to avoid puddles; the entire street resembled a river by now.

Mitsuki wandered around the empty town, not going anywhere in particular. Eventually, her feet lead her to the forest surrounding the remote town.

Under the shelter of the trees, the rain lessened, but not by much. It was eerily quiet. All the creatures had gone into hiding, leaving the branches bare, trails empty, and any sound they made was drowned out by the storm.

Mitsuki liked it here, though. The deserted setting was peaceful, in a way. Nothing disturbed her besides the occasional thunder. It wasn't long before she was submerged in her own thoughts, oblivious to the world.

So no wonder she crashed right into someone.

"Ah, sorry," She mumbled, after getting over her momentary daze.

Looking up, she stared right into a pair of all too familiar brown eyes.

The two of them stood there, shocked, for nearly a full minute before Mitsuki spoke.

"G-Gerald?" She questioned in disbelief.

He blinked a couple times before smiling slightly. "So your still alive, huh Mitsuki?"

She gave him a grin. "Of course. You should know best that I don't die so easily."

He laughed. "True enough. You survived nearly a dozen Balkan attacks, after all."

He watched in amusement as she flinched, muttering something about perverted monkeys. "Wonder if they were all the same one…"

That would be one obsessed creature then," He stated.

"Can we not talk about my monkey attracting habit?" She whined.

"So what are you doing out here anyways?" He asked. It always seems that she shows up where he expects no one else to be.

"I didn't feel like staying in the same area as a love-struck innkeeper flirting with my mentor," She stated, rolling her eyes.

"Although," She continued, glancing up at the sky, "Maybe we should go back. It doesn't look like the rain is going to stop anytime soon."

Mitsuki took his wrist and proceeded to drag him back to the inn. She only let go once they were standing outside of the building.

Grabbing her key, she headed for her assigned room, once more drenched. She tried to ignore the receptionist, but it was pretty hard to miss the expression on her face when they came in.

"Pervert," She muttered under her breath.

Mitsuki stepped out of the shower, drying her hair with a towel.

"When did you get in here?" She question, seeing Kaito propped up next to her bed.

"A while ago," Gerald answered for her, leaning against the wall nearby. Both the boy's hair were damp, having showered and changed out of their soaked clothes. Although, it seemed their hair was gravity defying since it stood as tall as ever, Mitsuki noted with amusement.

"So then what are you doing in my room? Who knows what that innkeeper thinks we're doing in here after you walked in like _that_. Why are neither of you wearing a shirt, anyways?" She commented, exasperated, as she threw herself onto the bed.

"See?" Kaito told Gerald, amusement apparent on both the boys' faces. "I told you. She's completely oblivious."

She hurled her towel at Kaito, but he caught it easily. She yawned, feeling suddenly tired. Glancing at the clock, she noticed it was already past 2 AM. "Do you mind? I kinda want to sleep tonight."

"What's wrong? Most girls would love having two hot boys in her room when she sleeps," Kaito teased.

"I'm nothing like your crazy fan girls, Kaito." She retorted. "Now, last time I checked, you had your own room, didn't you?"

"Fine, fine." He got up and left the room, tossing the towel somewhere on the floor.

"I'll let you sleep then," Gerald stated, exiting as well.

Giving another sleepy yawn, she cuddled into her blanket and fell asleep.

_

* * *

_

A.N - I don't really like this chapter… I've edited it more then a million times, but I'm still not completely satisfied with it. :/

_http:/i1197 . photobucket . com/albums/aa436/seionka/RedHair . Jpg is what Kaito looks like. Just get rid of the spaces._

_http:/i1197 . photobucket . com/albums/aa436/seionka/18 . jpg is what Mitsuki wears from Chapter One until I say otherwise, since I'm too lazy to change her outfit every chapter._

_Woopa - I've had this story in my head for nearly a year (ever since I first saw him in the manga) but was too lazy to put it on paper until now. Part of the reason is that now I can get extra credit in ELA for writing this stuff in my journal :3_

_Fire Princess21 - It is kinda annoying when the character can beat up everyone with a flick of his/her fingers. Its just not practical, so I try to keep from that in my story. Kind of hard, though, especially when I just want to skip through the fight scenes._


	5. Chapter Four

_It was dark… Where am I? Mitsuki looked around frantically, but it was as if the entire area had been drained of light. She opened her mouth, but no words came out._

_A soft giggle came from behind her. Whirling around, she had to close her eyes from the sudden light. Opening them again, she saw a five year old version of herself on a swing._

_Mitsuki stumbled back, eyes widening. What was going on?_

_The younger version of herself laughed again, apparently happy. More of the scene lit up, revealing a silver-haired boy pushing her. _

"_Ne, Tsuki, arent you tired of this yet?" The boy questioned. He was clearly older then her, nearly nine or ten._

"_Why would I be? After all, you're here with me," She replied, giving him a looked of what could only be called adoration._

_Mitsuki felt like she was frozen to the spot. She wanted to run, but her muscles refused to move._

_The scene the changed, replace by large, though old, house. A storm raged outside, but inside it was silent._

"_Raikou-nii? Where are you going?" The girl, a bit older now, stubled down the stairs. She was rubbing her eyes sleepily._

_The silver-haired boy turned around from where he had been packing, giving her a wary smile._

"_Its nothing, Tsuki, go back to sleep." It was obvious he didn't expect her to follow his order, and she stubbornly persisted._

"_Can I go?" Her child-like eyes seemed to sparkle at the thought of an adventure._

"_Not this time."_

"_Please?" She pleaded._

"_No, Mitsuki." He said more firmly._

_Rather obediently for a child, she quieted down._

"_When will you be back?"_

_He paused this time, as if trying to decide how to answer her. "I… I wont be coming back." Seeing the expression on her face, he added quickly, "Promise that you wont come after me."_

"_But… Why?" She whispered after a while._

"_I have to go somewhere. You'll be safer here." He turned as if to leave. Panicked, she ran after him._

_Turning around, he caught her, hugging her tightly. "Didn't I say to not follow me, Tsuki?" He whispered._

_She buried herself into his shirt, sobbing softly. "But I don't want you to leave!"_

_Closing his eyes, he placed on hand at the back of her head. "Sorry…" Casting a sleeping spell, he caught her before she collapsed to the floor._

_I'm really sorry, Tsuki…"_

* * *

Mitsuki bolted upright, gasping for air. 'A dream?'

It plagued her mind with bittersweet memories, none of which she wished to relive. All involving a certain silver-haired boy.

The night air blew in from an open window, causing chills to shoot up her body.

The night drew her, inexplicably, and before she knew it, she had jumped out of the window, spreading her dove white wings.

An owl vetured near, its wings silent in the night. It cocked its head at her, regarding the onyx haired girl with its unblinking stare before disappearing.

Beating her wings, she climbed steadily higher until she was level with the tallest trees. Nothing moved besides the occasional night predator, gorging themselves before the first rays of sunlight drove them back to their burrows.

How does it feel to have a home to retreat to? She dismissed the thought as soon as it entered her head. Her choice on the matter had been made years ago when she became a traveler.

Tilting her wings, she dipped into a full spiral, loving the way the wind seemed to flow effortlessly beneath her twelve foot wingspan.

Sometimes she wished she had been born a bird. Certainly, her version of flying was nice, but for just a day she would love to experience what it really was like, to soar threw the sky at speeds only dreamed of. After all, humans were far from aerodynamic.

Even so, this was still absolutely thrilling. The avian girl went into a display of graceful, though pointless, aerial stunts, despite the nagging feeling telling her she was going to regret this tomorrow.

_

* * *

_

A.N - Her wings are basically like Happy's Aero magic.

_Woopa - None taken, since I know for a fact I messed up his character. I even managed to mess up my own OC's character -_-". _

_But I've been stuck on that scene forever. So it was either write down something, or potentially keep on working on that until I get bored with this story altogether. I'll probably redo that later though._

_Luna White - Thanks! And yeah, there arent very many stories of him paired up with anyone but Erza. I think mine might be the only one actually… _

_To anyone who reads this story, expect updates to slow by a lot. My two week winter vacation is ending, so tomorrow its back to school. :/ I'll try to update at least once a week, though._


	6. Chapter Five

So maybe staying up all night flying wasn't the best idea…

Blinking, Mitsuki tried to focus on the path in front of her. Which is really hard to do when all you want to do is curl up and take a nap right then and there.

"What's up with you? Couldn't sleep last night?" Kaito questioned, reaching over to grab her arm before she walked straight into a tree.

"Something like that," She muttered, rubbing one eyes in a vain attempt to clear her vision.

He gave her a curious look, but didn't probe further. Although, he did make sure to keep a wary eye on his apprentice in case her feet felt inclined to drive her into another inanimate object. Nearby, he noticed that Gerald did the same. '_At least I'm not the only one who's aware that the her injury rate goes up nearly 80% when she's tired,_' He thought.

* * *

"Mitsuki, pick out a quest and meet me at the inn, okay?" Kaito instructed, already walking away.

"Eh?" By the time her sleep-deprived mind had registered his words, he had already disappeared.

Sighing, she glowered in his direction. There was no way she could find him, never mind catch up, with his slight head start. He had been the one to teach her how to increase her speed with wind magic, after all, and was immensely better at it. Not to mention she had drained most of her magic power with her reckless flying last night…

That left her completely alone. Gerald had disappeared _somewhere_ when they first came within sight of the village, promising to meet them at the inn before sunset. And now that Kaito had left for… Whatever, she was left by herself.

Come to think of it, she had no clue where either of her companions were… She shrugged it off; that wasn't surprising, considering their personalities.

It wasn't very hard to locate the request board. Like usual, it was at the center of town, near the shops and the inn so to attract the attention of traveling mages. Or mages like herself that didn't belong to a guild yet.

Although, this one was pretty filled for a rather rural town. Most requests went to a guild rather then a town, since the odds were higher of someone accepting.

And it seemed that most of the requests were quite similar, offering a large reward for the extermination of a beast of some sort. A snake with the legs of a preying mantis, a large cat-like creature with the jaws of a crocodile, and others so mutilated that no one could tell what they were suppose to be.

Looking closer, she realized that they all came from the same general area, surrounded by forests or cliffs.

A hoax? No; it was too bizarre, and much too wide spread. It would take a lot of effort to pull off something like that. But it was too much to be a coincidence.

Grabbing all the related papers and glancing up at the sky, she headed towards the inn. It was still barely noon, she had time. Later, she would confirm with the town head that they were taking the quests; for now, it was time to catch up with some much needed sleep.

Paying for a room, she wondered if she should leave a message for the two when they finally showed up, but decided against it. They could find her easily in the rather deserted inn; not to mention she had enough of perverted innkeepers for a while…

* * *

"Are you sure we should wake her? She seemed exhausted this morning."

"It's already dusk. The innkeeper said she had been in here since noon."

"But- I think she's awake."

Yawning, Mitsuki sat up, shooting them an annoyed glare. "How can I not be when you two are so noisy?"

Kaito grinned at her sheepishly, though he didn't seem very apologetic.

"So did you choose a mission yet?" Sitting down next to her, he draped his arm around her shoulders, completely ignoring her warning look.

"Throwing off his arm roughly, she gestured toward the table where she had thrown the papers. "Take a look at those for a moment."

Getting up, he flipped through the pages. "This is…" He trailed off, frowning.

"Five mutated creature, all in the same area," Gerald muttered, looking for himself.

"Six, if you include the one Kaito and I took out a while ago." Now that she was fully functional again, she took a closer look.

They were pretty standard in appearance for a extermination request; large black font on aged yellow paper. None of the writing was the same from paper to paper, further eliminating the idea that it was a prank. Anyways, she had seen one of them for herself, and had first-hand experience that if anything, it had real flesh and could put up quite a fight.

According to the information, they were generally the same size as the animal that made up its main body. A few, like the snake, seen slightly oversized, but it could have been an exaggeration.

The others watched as she pulled out a map of the area, plotting seemingly random dots. Having seen her do this before, they caught on quickly.

"So that's where the alleged monster appeared?" Kaito inquired.

"Alleged? You doubt their existence after seeing one for yourself?" She questioned, not looking up from her work.

"Not the existence of that one, but you know as well as I do that just one unusual or powerful monster causes widespread fear. That fear tends to distort images and warp tales, turning harmless kittens into twenty-foot monsters."

"Hn." She didn't agree nor disprove his claim, simply drawing a circle around the outermost dots. The area was larger then what she had first assumed, nearly 35 kilometers in diameter.

"This will take forever," She sighed.

"How about we start at the center and spiral outwards?" Kaito suggested.

Glancing at Gerald for his assent, she spread the map on the table, plotting their route.

"Alright, so we'll meet there-" Here Kaito tapped the center of their crude circle- "In the morning."

"Wait," He glanced at Mitsuki, who was staring at the spot, frowning. "isn't that area ruins?"

"This entire area used to be an ancient city. Not much of it is still standing, though. It's all overgrown like the forest now." Kaito informed. "Why?" "…It's nothing," She stated, casting one last glance at the map. "See you two tomorrow."

Receiving two simultaneous nods, she shoved the map back into her bag, leaving to get a few last minute supplies.

_

* * *

_

A.N - Sorry I took a long time to get this out, I'm busy with an essay for ELA. It's due Friday and I still have quite a bit planned out. It's really depressing though, so whenever I've tried to write this my muse rebels and comes up with random fluffy plot bunnies instead, which I cant even post up since they're a lot further in the (almost nonexistent) plot line then this story.

_Anyways, hope you enjoyed! Also, thank you to anyone who has reviewed or added this to Story Alerts :3_


	7. Chapter Six

Watching the squealing baby boar slowly sink to its death, Mitsuki took a careful step back behind the trees and regarded the quicksand pit with wary apprehension.

She pitied the poor thing, but any attempt at rescue would be seen as a threat by the furious mother nearby, and gotten her in a battle she didn't have time for. Besides, if she killed their mother by accident, how would the baby boar and its siblings survive?

That being said, she still needed to find a way to cross the quicksand. Mentally criticizing herself for letting her guard drop so much that she didn't even notice the pigs until she was this close, she judged her position. She was barely a foot away from the boars, and any excessive movement at all on her part could - and most likely would - cause the mother to charge. She had promised to meet the other two at sunrise, and the orange glow of the sky indicated that the sun wasn't far behind.

Flying wouldn't work either. Granted, it would take her over the quicksand and out of range of the boars, but she knew by experience that there were large spiders in hot, humid forests like these. Apparently, she looked enough like the birds they commonly preyed on to attack and try to wrap her up in silk. That wasn't an encounter she ever wanted to have again…

So then what could she do? Waiting here for them to leave would take hours, and by then the other two could have tried to search for her and gotten them even more separated. She couldn't dig underneath them; she was no where near proficient enough with earth magic to get very far.

Absentmindedly, she wiped away the beads of sweat starting to form on her forehead. It was a tropical forest - of course it would be hot and humid. But the just had to travel here on one of the hottest days on record, didn't they? Not to mention the downpour that had soaked the entire area just a while ago. The sheer amount of humidity in the air made it difficult to breathe, and even the slightest exertion caused fatigue. Coupled with her substandard tolerance of hot temperatures, this really was a bad environment for her.

The wind disturbed the still trees for a moment, but whatever cool air they once held had already been sucked up by the forest. Still, it made breathing a bit easier at least.

For a moment, white clouded her vision. She blinked in alarm before relaxing as she realized it wasn't her eyesight, but steam. The air was thick with the gas, enough to occasionally block her sight.

Come to think of it… If it could block her sight, then it would block a short-sighted boar's easily. All that would take was a bit of magic and water manipulation. Gathering a thick cloud of compressed steam by sucking water out of the air around her, she slowly moved it in front the family in a way that hopefully seem natural. Losing sight of its mother, the squeals from the trapped piglet grew to full blow shrieks. It thrashed about futilely, already nearly neck deep in the quicksand. The mother pig circled restlessly. She didn't want to follow her child into the pit, but yet the shrieks of terror evoked an primeval maternal instinct buried within every female.

Even for the battle seasoned mage, it was disheartening to watch. _Everything has to die eventually,_ she thought as she crept past the pigs, careful to stay upwind.

When she was just barely past the pigs, though, the wind suddenly shifted, dispersing the fog and directing her scent directly towards a furious female boar. Fighting her instinct to flee, she froze, but they had already noticed her. The piglets squealed with fear as their mother pawed the ground in front, snorting in warning.

Hurriedly summoning her wings, she dodged backwards, but with a quick swipe of its head, the boars long tusks cut into her flesh, leaving a long gash on the side of her right arm. Gritting her teeth as the fiery pain shot up her arm, Mitsuki quickly beat her wings, skimming close to the ground. Distracted, she haphazardly swerved around tree trunks, braches, and all the other sorts of things you expect to find in this environment.

She had lost the pig as soon as she had accelerated to full speed - after all, as fast as a boar may be, it's no match for a bird -, so she let her speed slow until she was only flying as fast as most people run.

"I must really be alt by now," She observed to herself, glancing up at the sky. The sun had slowly been inching across the sky during her frantic flight. They were supposed to have meet at 6, but it must be 6:00 or 7 by now.

The sky disappeared from view as she passed under another grove of trees, branches stretched upwards in their hopeless quest to reach the blue mirage. Settling down at a nearby trunk, she took a few sips of water from a bottle before carefully rinsing her gash in a nearby brook, turning the water crimson for a fleeting moment. Inspecting the injury, she concluded that it would heal by itself, as long as it didn't get infected.

Ripping off her sleeve from the elbow down, since it was only hanging on by a few threads anyways, she quickly constructed a makeshift bandage from the torn cloth. It was a skill she had developed out of necessity, having gotten injured more times in her time of being a mage then the average citizen would in their entire lifetime. By the time she was 10, the sight blood didn't bother her anymore. Tending to be more of a offensive mage by nature, her only "defense" was the ability to use her speed and agility to avoid most attacks. That, and taking down her opponents so quickly they didn't have time to attack.

Once she was satisfied, she dug around in her bag to find the map the had roughly thrown in there yesterday. Only once she had pulled it out and was scrutinizing it in confusion didn she realize something - she had absolutely no idea where she was. After all the random turns she had made in her frantic flight, she didn't even have a general idea of the direction of their meeting place, never mind how to get there.

Sighing in resignation, she heading in a random direction. This would be a long day…

* * *

_A.N- Okay, so first off, sorry for taking forever to get this out! I had another really depressing story to write for ELA (well, it wasn't suppose to be depressing, but it ended up that way) this week, my infinite math homework that I put off until the last moment last week, and I cant even remember the weeks before that. I apologize for that, especially xXmegachompXx who even left me a review, telling me to update. I'll start the next chapter now, and hopefully it wont take nearly as long to update as this time._


	8. Extra

Sorry for taking an insanely long time to update this! I don't even have an adequate excuse, other than I was caught up in other stories that I haven't published on this site yet. This is rather short, and has nothing to do with the current plotline I had earlier. Just something I write to hopefully make up for my absence (Actually, I was still on this site almost everyday; I just wasn't working on this) and hopefully placate some of you. I wouldn't be surprised if most of you have given up on me by now ^-^" Again, my apologies.

* * *

A.N. - Nothing really to say about this one… Just Gerald's thoughts after parting ways with Mitsuki. Every single one of my plot bunnies seem to be angsty fluff or something of the sort…

* * *

The anima closed up slowly, and Gerald slowly let out a sigh. The task had exhausted him like every other time, despite the fact it was a particularly small one. Well, that was to be expected from the technology from his father's country he supposed.

Turning, his feet automatically led him away from the dark cave and towards the nearest town before he realized he had no real reason to visit there. Before, every time he went to seal an anima, he would always send Mitsuki to the nearest urban area to wait for him. It had been one of his conditions to her staying with him.

Thinking about the girl, his lips twitched upwards slightly. She had been as silent as a mouse at first, but once she finally opened up, she really did grow on him. A calm, almost impeccable exterior hid a strong stubborn streak. Though generally polite and apathetic to her surroundings, she refused to relent on an issue when it came up.

But Mitsuki had left almost a month ago, and he still wasn't used her not being there. Well, that's what happens when you travel with someone for seven years, he supposed.

Come to think of it, he had left Wendy almost a year ago as well. As he absentmindedly headed in some direction, he considered checking up her. Wendy would be pretty easy to find, after all. He was pretty sure that the spirit who inhabited the ruins didn't move very often. But he dismissed the idea quickly. If she saw him, then that would bring a rather painful meeting he'd rather avoid. He had already put Mitsuki in danger for a number of years traveling with him; he had no wish to do the same with a 6 year old.

And yet, he had to admit he was a bit lonely without either of them by his side.

His thoughts once more strayed to the blacked-haired girl, who was indirectly the cause for his reflective mood today. Mitsuki… When he had first arrived at this world, he had promised himself that he wouldn't make any bonds. It would only hurt more at the time of inevitable return to Edolas. But once he met Mitsuki, that promise had instantly been shattered. She was different from anyone he had met before, and curiosity had gotten the best of him. Before he had even realized it himself, the bond they shared was already too deep to sever.

But even though he refused to admit it, there was a reason he had been so adamant about the separation. He had started noticing all the little things about her; the way she would always duck her head and hide behind her bangs when embarrassed, the flecks of silver you could see in her eyes under the moonlight, even how she tilted her head slightly when confused. He couldn't keep denying the feelings he got around her; the light flush he felt coming to his face every time she would smile at him, the jolt of electricity he got when they touched… and that mixed feeling in the pit of his stomach that nearly made him kiss her on more than one occasion. He had slowly been falling for her, and panicked upon realizing that.

It wasn't rejection he was afraid of, however, but what would happen if he really did fall completely in love with her. He would have to leave Earth World one day, he already knew that. It was fated; he would either stop his father or die in the attempt. Being just friends with her was okay, she would forget him eventually, and him the same. But if he fell for her, parting wouldn't be so easy. He was being selfish; he didn't want to feel the pain of losing someone he loved that way. It was better to just avoid her for the time being, until these idiotic feelings faded.

He knew they would meet again, as he had promised. But until then, he would just go on as before. After all, this feeling of separation would fade eventually…


	9. Drabbles

_So... I tried my hand at drabbles (a 100 word short story. Obviously it doesn't have to be exactly 100 words, but close) and I don't think they're all that bad. Fluff and angst = love, so there's a bunch of that... Oddly enough their complete opposites xD_

_My apologies for not updating this in forever, but we've suddenly moved from quaint little Sugar Land, Texas to (also quiet) White Rock, British Columbia. Yeah, the one in Canada. Needless to say, practically everything's changed. My friends are getting heatstroke while I'm leaving the window open as a replacement for AC. We hope to return before the school year begins but... Well there are a few personal problems to be dealt with. Until either event, I have practically nothing to do besides my anime/manga and fanfiction, so hopefully I'll get on ch 7..._

_I arranged these drabbles in chronological order so your not quite as confused :3 Also, the prompts come from The 10 Theme Drabble Challenge I got from someone on Quizilla. Cant remember who but they don't belong to me k?  
_

* * *

_**Don't Wait Up**_

Don't wait up for me. That was what he had said but… It reminded her all too much of Raiku's own words before he left.

And so, in a show of both stubborn defiance and a selfish worry, she waited anyways.

The darkness almost seemed to press into her, triggering an emotion that she hadn't felt for a while. Loneliness. It made her shift on the bed, hugging her knees to her chest even though it wasn't particularly cold.

The door clicked open and Gerald stepped in, not at all surprised to see her still up. He walked over, sitting on the bed next to her.

"Cold?" He inquired quietly, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her to his chest.

He failed to noticed the soft smile on her face, or the glow in her eyes as she replied, "Not anymore."

Fluff. I wouldn't be surprised if it gave you cavities, its that sickly sweet...

* * *

_**Together**_

Silver moonlight filtered in from the open window, casting a pale glow on two sleeping teens. Anyone who would have happened to glance in would have cooed at the sight, adoring the sleeping couple.

And they would have been wrong on both assumptions. For one, the two teens were not, in fact, dating, though it was an easy mistake to make seeing as the girl had her arms wrapped around the boy's waist, her head buried into his chest. And they were not both asleep. The girl was well and truly dreaming in the darkness, however the boy was wide awake.

Why? Gerald blamed it on male hormones. Really, that was the only explanation he had for as to why his heart had been beating so fast ever since she laid down with him, and hadn't slowed since.

Well there _was_ another but... He refused to even touch upon the concept.

He was not, _could not_, be in love with her. Not matter what his heart said. Because if he was then- No, there was no way. _No way he would hurt her like that._

But just being together with her like this, not even he could deny that it was torture.

_Slow, blissful torture._

And then we move to my other favorite, angst... Bleh. Why do I suddenly hate my writing?

* * *

_**Nameless**_

Kaito always made sure to know the name of each and every person he killed. Mitsuki had found it a rather odd habit, but never questioned it; it hadn't taken her long to figure mages all had their individual quirks. But when a curious little boy inquired to as just why he was trying so hard to get the name of the bandit they were hired to dispose, she couldn't help but listen in.

Dark red eyes flashed with.. grief? Sorrow? "No matter their sins, no one deserves to die nameless." Though he was looking at the boy, somehow, she got the feeling the words were directed at her.

_ It wasn't until she had taken her first life and had nearly been killed in turn did she begin to understand just what he meant._

This one I actually kind of like.

* * *

_**Tomorrow**_

She tried to follow his instructions, she really did. She could feel the magical power flow in her body; that was no problem at all. But focusing it to create anything that wouldn't get her laughed at and sent home with a lollipop (she now detested the candy after a certain mage; she was 14!) seemed beyond her.

Letting out a slight growl of frustration after the firestorm she tried to conjure ended up simply a rise in temperature and a few small embers no bigger than a drop of rain, Mitsuki effectively ruined any concentration she had by furiously sweeping her hand through the pitiful flames, dissipating them in an instant.

She knew choosing not to specialize in an element was a lot harder than simply picking one and sticking with it, but she still couldn't help getting irritated. The only magic she could perform successfully was summoning her wings, and with that she wasn't even sure how she did it. It came naturally to her, like walking would to a child.

A hand ruffled the top of her head, instantly pulling Mitsuki out of her thoughts and earning Kaito a surprised wide-eyed look.

"Hey, relax, Tsuki. There's always tomorrow, right?"

_ Though she wouldn't admit it, that cocky smile and reassurance of her magic instructor was all that was needed to calm her nerves._

I seem to like her travels with Kaito best...

* * *

_**Sorrow**_

Not once, in the 3 years he had know her, had he ever seen the dark-haired girl cry. So when Kaito walked into the room she had rented out for the night at a time when most sane people would be sound asleep, that last thing he was expecting was for her to be curled up at the corner of the room, light sobs shaking her body.

"Mi...tsuki?" It took a full 60 seconds to get the word out, and another 10 to realize he should be doing something other than staring at her like an idiot.

Approaching her like you would an injured animal, he hesitantly placed his hand on her shoulder. Her arms tightened around her legs and she buried her head deeper into her knees, the only sign she was aware of his presence at all.

"Mitsuki? What's wrong?" He didn't bother with asking if she was alright; the answer was obvious.

A frown appeared on his lips when she didn't reply. Slipping his hand under her chin, he tilted her head up. Her eyes were red and glimmering with tears, a trail of the liquid present on her cheeks.

"Mitsuki?" He murmured once again, trying to get a response from the obviously distraught younger girl.

"That's my name; you've said it three times in the past couple minutes. Do you have anything more original to say or are you just trying to bug me?" she finally snapped, voice touched with sarcasm.

Kaito opened his mouth to reply in kind like usual, but closed it when he was reminded just how far from norm the current situation was. There was an vulnerability in her eyes, more so then when he had first met her. Not even her venomous glare could cover up the helplessness, uncertainty that lingered within those sapphire orbs.

Without really knowing what he was doing, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. She barely resisted the action, instead weakly clinging to his white tunic and burying her face into his chest.

He only found out later that that night was the first day of her memory, when her brother had given her a name, and also the day he disappeared into the night.

_The very day she called her birthday._

Too sweet. A... friend (if I can even call him that)... would call this corny (Not cheesy because cheese is yummy. His exact words I think.) like he did with another story of mine.

* * *

**_Honesty_**

Mitsuki had often been told her "boyfriend" was hot, gorgeous, adorable, and a number of less appropriate things. Which she'd usually ignore, because this assumed "boyfriend" happened to be none other then the prince of Edolas himself. But this time…

She couldn't help but stare as he tilted his head back, watching what she presumed was the sky. The wind tugged lightly on his blue locks, and the rising sun framed him in an ethereal light. And for this one time, she could see where they were coming from.

He turned to her, a bit of worry on his face. "Mitsuki, are you alright?" She jumped lightly, not noticing that the silence had stretched much longer then usual.

_No__, __I'm__not__alright__, _she thought. _I'm__turning__into__a__lovesick__little__girl__!_ But she placed a careful smile on her face, hiding her internal war. "Fine, Gerald. Why?" The lie felt bitter on her tongue. _She__never__lied__to__him__._

But what could she say? She would never, under any circumstances, admit that she was falling for her best friend, no matter what. Not even to herself.

Denial may be a bad thing, but she wasn't ready for rejection just yet.

Oh dear god... Ugh.

* * *

**_Harmony_**

Mitsuki had to admit, she was curious about "Team Natsu". Could they really be called a team at all, with the way two of them constantly wanted to take off each other's heads? The third wasn't much better, often resorting to violent methods herself to stop the two from arguing. Lucy was the most sane of the group, though she was hardly what one would call normal.

So because of her growing curiosity, she didn't put up much a fight when she was dragged along with the dysfunctional group on a mission that was suppose to be just her and Erza in the first place.

She was surprised by the way they fought; it flowed together neatly, complimenting each other in ways that seemed impossible by the way they argued.

She had never thought that this odd group could be so... harmonic.

Its... okay. Kind of.

* * *

**Wonder**

"You… _swallowed_ it?" She turned to Gray for confirmation, and received a halfhearted shrug.

"Yeah, Squinty Eyes ate a bit of Etherion to defeat that bastard. What about it?" If anything, Mitsuki's disbelief grew at the casual statement.

"_What__about__it_? The idiot swallowed a _lacrima_! That had just absorbed the magical power from the Council's strongest weapon!"

"I don't see the problem. You're the only one getting all riled up about it," Gray commented, leaning back and taking a gulp out of his nearly frozen water.

Mitsuki merely shook her head in wonder. She would never understand this guild…

My exact sentiments... It makes for one of the awesomest shows ever though :3 And- WOOT perfect drabble~! 100 words exactly hehe._  
_

* * *

_**Melancholy**_

It was unusual for the generally rowdy Fairy Tail to be so disquieted, especially when both Natsu Dragneel and Gray Fullbuster were present. So one could imagine Mitsuki's sentiments when she walked in one day, only to find her guild completely silent. It was just like what she had originally imagined a mage guild to be like; everyone going about on their own business, a mood of intense concentration that was rarely broken by words.

"Is everyone alright?" She questioned after a few tense moments.

"Luxas…" She glanced at Mirajane, who was the first to speak.

"Luxas?" She vaguely remembered him as the cocky grandson of the Master. "What about him?"

"He's been banished," Natsu stated bluntly, fury blazing within his eyes.

"Natsu! That's…" Lucy reprimanded weakly.

Mitsuki gazed around the room. Every member had a fallen into a state of melancholy, sadness and a helpless frustration in their eyes.

It was almost enviable, she thought later. The bonds that bind every single one of them, no matter how young or old. When one falls, they all help to pick them up, and when one of them cries, they all share the pain.

A bit too fluffy/cheesy ne?

* * *

_**Amazement**_

"This… is Edolas?" Gerald smiled softly at the awe in her voice as Mitsuki turned around, slowly taking in everything.

"Like it?"

She turned to face him, sapphire eyes glowing in an almost childish manner; a side of her he rarely saw anymore. "Of course! Its… absolutely stunning!"

His smile never wavered, even as a dark though crossed his mind. If these really were to be his last moments with her, he wouldn't dampen her mood by giving her that knowledge.

Despite his will, the clock was slowly ticking closer and closer to the impending separation.

Fluff and angst.

* * *

_Why am I suddenly back, you may ask? Well mainly because I gave my friend a choice; which should I write first? Cold Like Fire 7 or Angel Haven 2 (a new story I haven't posted here)? And to my surprise, she chose CLF. I had personally thought Angel Haven was better, but since I trust her opinion, I postponed Angel Haven til further notice. I might post ch. 1 on this site just cause though. Its a Jellal (Earthland this time)xOC kinda like this, but the theme is quite different. __  
_

_For everyone who has reviewed/faved/suscribed; Thank you~ Especially since you have to deal with my weird updating habits ^-^"_

_KariAsunada~ Oh the woes of writing for Sasuke lol. I tried once... Not only did it end up worse then what a 5th grader would write (Though that could be because I was only in 6th grade and wasnt as fanfic obsessed as I am now lol) I always seem to like the quiet types and they are fricken hard to write xD_

_xXmegachompXx~ Ah no I have to thank you getting asked to hurry really does help sometimes.  
_

_One last thing- Who wants to read a prologue? Well it'll kinda be like a continuation of the prologue I currently have up. Their travels when they were younger would probably be much easier for me to write, but that could mean this will get updated even slower... Any thoughts?_


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